Jose Dolores

Jose Dolores (23 August 1814-1854) was an Afro-Caribbean revolutionary who led a slave revolt in the Lesser Antilles against Portugal in what became known as the Queimadan Revolution. When the new government (made up of white landowners) continued to force Africans to cut sugarcane with low pay, Dolores led another rebellion in 1848 but was killed in 1854 with British help.

Biography
Jose Dolores was born on the Lesser Antilles island of Queimada to an Afro-Caribbean prostitute and an unknown father. He was enslaved by the colonial government of Portugal that ruled the island, but in 1844 he met a man named Sir William Walker, who claimed that he stole his luggage. Dolores admitted, but Walker told him that he actually gave Dolores the bags and that Dolores gave it to a friend of his; Dolores only said yes because Africans were not allowed to challenge their white masters. Walker then egged Dolores into fighting, and taught Dolores how to defend himself. He then beat Dolores down and fled.

At the church, Walker walked to the black side and hired Dolores and many others to partake in the robbery of the Banco Espiritu Santo, which carried over 100,000 Reales. With help from the Africans of Queimada, they stormed the bank and stole the money, but the next morning Walker told Dolores that tens or twenties of Portuguese troops would come looking for them. Dolores decided to recruit others, although skeptical that they would not join them because Walker and Dolores were seeking to hire them to protect their money. However, Dolores gave an inspiring speech to rally the slaves against the Portuguese government, and Walker taught the people how to load and shoot a rifle. The slaves massacred the Portuguese that attacked the village, and Dolores decided on staying in Queimada rather than leaving on a ship with Walker (Walker admitted that there was no ship, and his goal was to get Dolores to start a revolution). Dolores and his band entered the Sierra Madre and gained support from several followers and by the time he reached the Sierra Trinidad he had 400-500 people at his side. Three months later, he had thousands.

At the same time, Walker discussed with the upper classmen of Queimada, who were white landowners that ran the sugarcane industry. He told them that if they did not join the revolution, should it succeed the Africans would not be their bosses, but their executioners. They agreed to take part in the overthrowing of the Portuguese government; Terry Sanchez shot Governor Maximiliano Matos and took over the capital. Walker had told Dolores to stay on the beach and camp there rather than enter the capital so that it was the whites who took control of the government first.

The next day, Dolores and his army rode into the city, and Dolores was introduced to Augusto Anguilar, Alfonso Prada, Fernando Gabriela, and Sanchez, and Dolores was slightly insulted when Walker told him that Sanchez was made the President of the Queimada Provisional Government. They told Dolores that they wished to discuss the drafting of a constitution, but Dolores walked into the palace and sat in the Governor's seat when he talked with them. As months passed, Dolores refused to draft any constitution that was proposed, and he ordered his men to expel the whites. However, when Walker confronted a sad Dolores, Dolores told him that he would bring back the whites so as to manage the education and finances of the country.

On 13 May 1845, Dolores had the rebel army disbanded and the Republic of Queimada was declared with Sanchez as its first president. Dolores was given the rank of General, but played little role in politics as the whites gave a 99-year contract to the Royal Antilles Sugar Company that gave them exploitation rights (in effect, the sugar company took over the economy of the nation). Soon, the workers of the plantations were put in worse conditions than ever, as the country could not interfere with the sugar company's worker policies. In February 1848 the workers sacked Queimada, and were told by Dolores to stop cutting cane and start cutting heads, and Dolores was made the commander of the rebel army once uprisings started in other parts of the island. Three months later, Great Britain intervened.

Dolores won some victories against the Queimadan Army, made up mainly of the white Portuguese-descended populace, but also consisting of Afro-Caribs who wanted to be paid to fight. Dolores' men fought for an idea and not money, and they became a powerful force. For six years Dolores evaded capture and successfully fought against the government. However, Walker returned to the island as an agent of the sugar company and was ordered to deal with Dolores. When Dolores received Walker's canteen as a peace offering, Dolores sent it back on a wagon with three dead soldiers, telling him that he would not drink anymore.

Soon, General Prada overthrew Terry Sanchez's government, as Sanchez wanted to arrest the meddling Walker and take command of the country's army and future decisions. Prada had Sanchez executed as the first British troops arrived at the docks, along with artillery. The British Army, the best army in the world, were able to inflict many defeats on Dolores' men. However, Walker caused poverty by ordering the burning of the villages of destitute people in the barren Sierra Madre and Sierra Trinidad, and when the government offered bread to the people, the people attempted to steal it all and soldiers intervened.

Dolores hid out in the mountains where the only animals werevipers, and continued to fight. The British cannon killed several soldiers and eventually Dolores and one other man were caught attempting to escape the British by climbing up a steep sandy and rocky hill. Dolores tumbled down after a shot nearly hit him, and Walker ordered his men to cease fire, confident that the man was Dolores. Dolores was bound and brought back to the British camp. En route, Dolores was unable to talk, losing everything including part of speech. Dolores spat on Walker when he called him a "black ape", his only sort of communication with him.

Death
That night, a pitiful Walker cut Dolores free from his bonds in a tent and told him to leave, his rebellion having been crushed. However, Dolores refused, gaining a sort of revenge against the government as a martyr. The next morning a noose was constructed and Dolores was hung in the encampment; later that day, Walker was stabbed by a man who sought revenge for Dolores.